Nelson Cruz Voted as AL All-Star Starter at DH

SEATTLE, Wash. –Nelson Cruz of the Seattle Mariners has been voted as the starting designated hitter for the American League squad in the 86th Major League Baseball All-Star Game to be played Tuesday, July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

The 2015 American League and National League All-Star starters were unveiled earlier this evening during the “Esurance All-Star Starters Selection Show” on ESPN. Reserves, pitchers and Esurance MLB Final Vote candidates for the 2015 Midsummer Classic will be announced tomorrow night on the “Esurance All-Star Selection Show” on ESPN at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET.

In the AL’s tightest race, Nelson Cruz (10,632,184) claimed his fourth All-Star selection (2009, 2013-14) as he held off Kendrys Morales (10,320,500) of the Royals. It marks the second consecutive fan-elected start for Cruz, who claimed the starting assignment last year at Target Field while with Baltimore. Cruz, who joins Edgar Martinez (1997, 2001, 2003) as fan-elected designated hitters in Mariners history, is tied for third in the AL with 21 home runs and ranks fourth with a .555 slugging percentage. Overall, the 35-year-old native of the Dominican Republic is batting .304 with 11 doubles, a triple and 41 runs scored. Cruz ranks first in the Majors with 12 game-winning RBI and is tied with fellow All-Stars Harper and Frazier for first in the Majors with 20 go-ahead RBI on the season.

The 2015 All-Star Game will be played at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, July 14th at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and Sirius XM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Designated Hitters

#

Player

Club

Votes

1.

Nelson Cruz

Mariners

10,632,184

2.

Kendrys Morales

Royals

10,320,500

3.

Edwin Encarnacion

Blue Jays

5,165,417

4.

Victor Martinez

Tigers

2,973,210

5.

Alex Rodriguez

Yankees

2,362,347

CRUZ’s PLAYING RECORD

YEAR

CLUB

AVG

G

AB

R

H

TB

2B

3B

HR

RBI

SH

SF

HB

BB

SO

SB

CS

SLG

OBP

1998

DSL Mets

.271

30

70

10

19

22

0

0

1

13

0

0

3

7

21

6

0

.314

.363

1999

DSL Mets

.200

35

90

7

18

24

4

1

0

11

0

1

1

6

21

6

1

.267

.255

DSL Mets-2

.278

36

115

20

32

41

4

1

1

21

0

2

1

16

27

14

0

.357

.366

2000

DSL Mets

.351

69

259

60

91

158

14

4

15

80

4

4

8

33

56

17

4

.610

.434

2001

AZL Athletics

.250

23

88

11

22

36

3

1

3

16

1

0

0

4

29

6

3

.409

.283

2002

Vancouver

.276

63

214

23

59

85

14

0

4

25

4

1

4

9

58

12

1

.397

.316

2003

Kane County

.238

119

470

65

112

202

26

2

20

85

1

6

9

29

128

10

5

.430

.292

2004

Modesto

.345

66

261

54

90

152

27

1

11

52

0

1

4

24

73

8

4

.582

.407

Midland

.313

67

262

51

82

142

14

2

14

45

0

0

1

26

69

8

3

.542

.377

Sacramento

.231

4

13

4

3

7

1

0

1

2

0

0

0

1

7

0

0

.538

.286

2005

Huntsville

.306

68

248

45

76

143

19

0

16

54

0

3

4

31

71

10

3

.577

.388

Nashville

.269

60

208

33

56

102

13

0

11

27

0

0

8

30

62

9

4

.490

.382

MILWAUKEE

.200

8

5

1

1

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

.400

.429

2006

Nashville

.302

104

371

68

112

196

22

1

20

73

0

4

6

42

100

17

6

.528

.378

TEXAS

.223

41

130

15

29

50

3

0

6

22

0

1

0

7

32

1

0

.385

.261

2007

TEXAS

.235

96

307

35

72

118

15

2

9

34

1

1

2

21

87

2

4

.384

.287

Oklahoma

.352

44

162

32

57

113

9

1

15

45

0

2

2

21

34

1

2

.698

.428

2008

Oklahoma

.342

103

383

93

131

266

18

3

37

99

0

4

5

56

87

24

8

.695

.429

AZL Rangers

.250

1

4

1

1

2

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

2

1

0

0

.500

.500

TEXAS

.330

31

115

19

38

70

9

1

7

26

0

0

1

17

28

3

1

.609

.421

2009

TEXAS

.260

128

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